Pet people are a special breed. This blog is for anyone who can't get enough news about the animals in our lives.

Pet lady: That's my role in the Miami Herald newsroom. I've been here since 1989, during which time I've had 11 dogs, a ring-necked parakeet, a chicken, and a lizard named Lance. At the moment, I have four dogs, one step-dog, and two cockatiels. A native New Yorker, I came here from Louisville, Ky. I'm a graduate of the University of Arizona, and had a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard in 1988. I have written 309 stories containing the word "dog" in the past 20 years.

Herald Blogs

April 25, 2007

Note to Attorney:

With any luck, he's burning in hell.....

Man Admits Feeding Puppy to Snake

PHOENIX — A man who admitted feeding a puppy to a pet boa constrictor failed to show up for sentencing Tuesday.

Joseph E. Beadle, 40, had pleaded guilty last month to a charge of animal cruelty, a felony. He was set for sentencing Tuesday in Maricopa County Superior Court, and a judge issued an arrest warrant when he failed to show. He was facing up to a year in jail and a $150,000 fine.

His attorney, Gerald Bradley, told The Arizona Republic newspaper he did not know where his client was.

Police reports say Beadle fed the mixed-breed, 3-week-old puppy to the snake in June as two 15-year-old boys watched. He poured cooking oil on the dog so it would be easier for the snake to swallow, according to the reports.

Investigators found the snake was also a victim of neglect. The snake was removed from the home and is in the care of the Arizona Herpetological Society.